Heavenly Father, in these trying times
when the spirit of the age threatens Christian values,
give our bishop holiness of life and wisdom
to direct and guide our diocesan family so that
we may grow in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
In March this year I was one of a group from the Region of Peru to attend a Columban meeting in Santiago, Chile. It was a joint meeting between the Columban regions of Peru and Chile.
O God, today is new unlike any other day,
for God makes each day different.
Today God's everyday grace falls on my soul
like abundant seed, though I may hardly see it.
Today is one of those days Jesus promised
to be with me, a companion on my journey,
And my life today, if I trust him,
has consequences unseen.
My life has a purpose.
O well-beloved of God,
hear the ardent cry
which rises up from every heart.
Bend tenderly over our aching wounds.
Convert the wicked,
dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed,
comfort the poor and humble,
quench hatreds, sweeten hardness,
safeguard the flower of purity in youth,
protect the holy church,
Mother of Sweetness,
the faith and love with which you give your Divine Son
urges me to open my heart to the love of your heart
so that the sweetness of your Mother's love may touch me deeply.
May the sweetness of your heart cause me
to share with others your love for Jesus.
Fiji has the highest incidence of diabetes in the world. More than one third of the population suffers from it. It is a lifestyle disease. Fijian men were able to eat big meals of local root crops and vegetables in the past, because they walked a lot and worked hard in their gardens. But nowadays most get transported around and live sedentary lives while eating processed foods as heartily as before.
O God, bountiful in forgiving,
and lovingly desirous of man's salvation,
we humbly ask Your mercy in behalf of our friends,
relations and benefactors,
who have passed from this world, that,
through the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin
and all the Saints,
You would permit them to come
to the full participation of everlasting happiness.
Returning home for a seminary break is interesting. I usually see it as a great time for relaxation and enjoyment. But I have discovered that it is more than that.
Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty,
and impelled by the anxieties of the world,
we cast ourselves into your arms,
O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary,
confident of finding in your most loving heart
appeasement of our ardent desires,
and a safe harbor from the tempests
which beset us on every side.
Mother of our Redeemer,
in this era dedicated to you,
with great joy we call you blessed.
You believed in the Word of God the father
and declared yourself His handmaid,
and so, through you,
the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us.
We salute you as Mother, our Mother,
the Mother of the Church.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.
We go in the name of the Church to announce, by deed and word, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Missionary Society of St. Columban
1902 N. Calhoun
St. Columbans, NE 68056
Phone: 877-299-1920
Fax: 402-291-4984
email: mission@columban.org
